Cardinals claim Game 1 of World Series with win over Rangers

ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals have spent a long time looking for a way to use Allen Craig.

He came up through the minor leagues bouncing from position to position, never quite finding one. It was his bat that kept him moving through the system.

Among the many Cardinals who excelled in this strange season was Craig, who spent his first full year on the big league roster at 27, who played six different positions, filling in here, there and everywhere.

He missed a chunk of the season after breaking a knee cap at Minute Maid Park, but returned in time to contribute huge hit after huge hit down the stretch.

He did that again Wednesday in Game 1 of the World Series, a game that Cardinals would win 3-2 in front of 46,406 on a damp 49-degree evening at Busch Stadium.

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa summoned him from the bench to pinch hit against hard-throwing Rangers reliever Alexi Ogando in a tie game in the sixth inning.

“Cold weather game, sitting on the bench, World Series, Ogando,” La Russa said. “It’s not a very good situation, but he’s got a history in our system.”

Craig’s single drove in the winning run and got the Cardinals started in what they hope will be their 11th championship.

“That’s why we like him so much,” La Russa said. “He’s got a history of taking great at-bats, especially with runners in scoring position.”

Craig will serve as the designated hitter when the World Series moves to Arlington for Games 3-4-5. For now, his opportunities may be limited.

“I was down in the clubhouse getting my legs loose because I had a feeling a pinch-hit opportunity was coming up,” he said. “Right when I hit it, I thought it was a hit right off the bat. But (Nelson) Cruz made an unbelievable effort getting there, I couldn’t believe he got that close to it. . I was just glad it fell.”

This is a World Series without the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies, in fact, without baseball’s 10 biggest spenders. The Cardinals and Rangers are ranked 11th and 13th in payroll.

Both teams are a reminder that money isn’t the only way to build a team. Craig arrived in the 2006 draft along with third baseman David Freese and outfielder Jon Jay.

“He’s been getting big hits for us all year,” Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman said of Craig. “It’s a luxury to have a guy that could hit probably fourth in most lineups. You go down the list of guys that contributed, and that’s how you win.”

Once more, this was a bullpen game. Once more, La Russa did a masterful job mixing and matching his relievers.

He used five in all, and they combined to toss three shutout innings in relief of ace Chris Carpenter.

The Cardinals got terrific defensive plays from pitcher Chris Carpenter and first baseman Albert Pujols, two aspects of a very good defensive team.

For the Rangers, it was another tough evening for starting pitcher C.J. Wilson, who lasted just 5 2/3 innings and allowed six walks and three earned runs.

Starting pitching was one of the things that carried the Rangers through this magical season, but it has failed them in the postseason.

“I thought C.J. did a good job,” manager Ron Washington said. “He may have walked some guys, but he was in a 2-2 game. He did his job.”

Craig got his chance because Cardinals second baseman Nick Punto did a nice job working Wilson for a walk with two outs in the last of the sixth.